Judith Potts was an actress and is now a voice, acting and presentation coach. She is married with two children, three stepchildren and is the proud grandmother to two grandsons. She lives in west London and Yorkshire. In 2008 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She can be contacted at judith.potts@telegraph.co.uk and is on Twitter @JudithPotts.

Cheer on the London marathon runners, and marvel at their generosity

A couple of days ago I filled in the sponsorship form for my friend’s son, who is running in Sunday’s London Marathon in support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer – his Mother has fought the disease twice. As I did so, I began to reflect on the generosity of people in this country. Not only are many thousands of people prepared to give up hours of their free time to train for these events but they are hugely successful in persuading friends, family and workmates to give generously.

This weekend is the start of the charity fundraising season. Looking at the various cancer charities’ websites, it is astonishing to see the number of events planned for the next few months. Triathlons, marathons and half-marathons, 10k, 5k and 10 mile runs and walks, cycle rides and aerobics in the park. I am sure we all know someone who is running, walking, skydiving, cycling, knitting or cooking to raise money for favourite charities.

There are a remarkable number of cancer charities in existence. Twenty two are represented in the London Marathon alone. We have all heard of the large ones but there are a considerable number of small ones out there, all battling away to raise enough money to fund specialist research, improve aftercare and offer emotional or practical support for people affected by different forms of cancer. Many of these lesser known organisations are local and founded in memory of someone who fought and lost their battle with cancer.

Last year, when the economy was at its worst, some of these charities noticed a downturn in their income from corporate donors but it did not disappear totally. That was due entirely to the determination and inventiveness of the British people who found different ways to persuade donors to part with their money. People dug deep and continued with their support. The Breast Cancer Havens’ team raised £45,000 from its Marathon run – not bad for a small charity in a difficult year and they have a team running again on Saturday.

I know that, recently, the work of some international aid agencies has been questioned and doubts cast on whether the money raised is actually going to the people in need – but where would we be without our cancer charities? Their marvellous work enables so many of us to come through cancer and face the future with confidence. They supply us with help-lines, comfort and information; they offer sanctuaries, seminars and complementary therapies and they work diligently to campaign for their own particular type of cancer to be recognised and researched.

So, on Saturday, when Southampton hosts Walk the Walk’s Sun Walk (like the Moon Walk but in the daytime) and, on Sunday, when the London Marathon’s starting gun is fired, it is our chance to remember these organisations and to thank the competitors for devoting their time and effort.

If you are giving, please do not forget to Gift Aid your contribution. It is amazing how much extra money this raises. If you do nothing else, go and cheer them on.